Exodus 3:13-14
(Exodus 3:13-14 NASB) "13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'""
Intro:
God introduced Himself to Moses with just two words: "I AM." Typically that phrase needs a third word to complete the sentence. But because God is everything and everyone and everywhere that He needs to be in every moment, His name doesn't need a third word.
You and I, on the other hand, need that third word to anchor our identities to specific, tangible, descriptive terms. But completing the "I am _________" sentence is not as easy as it sounds.
We fill in the third word blank all the time with automatic and subconscious nouns and adjectives, but we seldom stop to question whether we've gotten our third words right.
1. Dig Deep
To dig deep requires some soul searching. As a kid I used to listen to Michael Jackson religiously all the time. I still argue that he was the most talented musical artist of all time. I so badly wanted that red jacket he wore in the “Beat It” video, but my favorite song he ever did was “Man In the Mirror” in which he sings
“I’m looking at the man in the mirror,
I’m asking him to change his ways,
No message could’ve been any clearer,
If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change.”
But often we don’t want to look at ourselves, at least not honestly. We want to either beat ourselves up or masquerade as the best possible version of ourselves outwardly, when inside we are a mess.
One thing this series Unqualified has done is it has caused me to asses myself honestly before God and it’s been uncomfortable.
Here are some third words I hear all the time, both from my mouth and my mind when I fill in the third word:
I am… Unqualified. Stupid. Strong. Driven. Screwed-up. Loyal. Stuck. Hurting. Overwhelmed. Blessed. Capable. Disappointed. Broken. Hopeful. Failing. Content.
Which of those do you identify with? Circle them mentally.
What word of your own would you write in?
How does all this compare with God's assessment of you?
These are enormous, confusing, and brave questions. And getting them right will take a lifetime. But I challenge you not to ignore them.
Dig deeper into who God has called you to be; sometimes that means doing things you don’t want to do in order to become who you could not otherwise become.
= In Decision, Joni Eareckson Tada writes:
Honesty is always the best policy, but especially when you’re surrounded by a crowd of women in a restroom during a break at a Christian women’s conference. One woman, putting on lipstick, said, "Oh, Joni, you always look so together, so happy in your wheelchair. I wish that I had your joy!" Several women around her nodded. "How do you do it?" she asked as she capped her lipstick.
"I don’t do it," I said. "In fact, may I tell you honestly how I woke up this morning?"
"This is an average day," I breathed deeply. "After my husband, Ken, leaves for work at 6:00 A.M., I’m alone until I hear the front door open at 7:00 A.M. That’s when a friend arrives to get me up.
"While I listen to her make coffee, I pray, ’Oh, Lord, my friend will soon give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don’t have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don’t have a smile to take into the day. But you do. May I have yours? God, I need you desperately.’"
"So, what happens when your friend comes through the bedroom door?" one of them asked.
"I turn my head toward her and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It’s not mine. It’s God’s. And so," I said, gesturing to my paralyzed legs, "whatever joy you see today was hard won this morning."
I have learned that the weaker we are, the more we need to lean on God; and the more we lean on God, the stronger we discover him to be.
[Joy Hard Won, Citation: Joni Eareckson Tada, "Joy Hard Won," Decision (March 2000), p.12, used by permission]
Samson, born of Manoah, failed to understand God’s desire was not for him to be strong; His desire was to be strong in him (Judges 13-16)
Joshua was told to be strong not because he could, but because God was with him
(Joshua 1:9 NIV) "9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.""
(Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV) "6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He [is] the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.""
Throughout history it has been the nature of God to operate thru a vessel, that vessel usually being mankind as His ultimate desire is to be one with us; that we be one with Him.
Jesus said, (John 7:38 NASB) "38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'""
What makes being a vessel so hard is that sometimes it’s like mixing oil with water. As His rivers of living water pour into us, the pains of our past, our mistakes, and our sins rise to the surface no longer able to be ignored. We must acknowledge our present circumstance and make a choice. Oil cannot be hidden in the water. It must be removed, for life to happen. Therefore, in order for us to find our true identity in Christ we have to allow Him to remove the things that ought not to be in our hearts. We must assess completely and honestly.
Last week I shared that you are exactly who God needs you to be for His purpose at this moment; but we are called to move from glory to glory. That means that the plan God has for our tomorrow will likely require us to be better than who we are today. The good news is because He is the same yesterday, today and forever, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, His grace is still sufficient where we fall short.
Today as we prepare to celebrate Independence day, especially in an election year we do our due diligence to assess what we are as a country and where we ought to be. As a church we do the same. But on a personal level, since we serve a personal God who desires we have a personally relationship with Him, so much so that He sent His Son to die for our sins and shortcomings, we must be will to dig deep on a personal level and…
2. Ask the Tough Questions
Illustration: Charlie brown asks Linus "What would you do if you felt that nobody liked you?"
Linus responds "Well Charlie Brown I guess I would take a real hard look at myself, ask if I am doing anything that turns people off, How can I improve myself? Do I need to change in some way? Yep that’s my answer Charlie Brown."
Charlie Brown says, "I hate that answer."
(Exodus 3:11 NASB) "11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?""
Paul reminds us that, “Those who measure themselves by themselves ... are without understanding.” (2 Cor 10:12)
As cowardly as this statement might’ve been, it was honest. Are you being honest with God? Are you bringing your worries and your cares before Him? Are you allowing Him to speak life into your circumstance?
This scripture has been read and preached many ways. Many will point to Moses’ lack of faith, to his fear or even doubt, or even speculate that he may have been seeking permission not to go. But what makes this scripture so beautiful is the fact that Moses is willing to be honest about what was in his heart and ask God the tough questions…
Who am I, who are you, what shall I say?
Sometimes we fail to ask such questions because we are scared of the response we might get. Maybe we are afraid to pray for our enemy, because we have a hidden Jonah complex and we want justice now. We want God to smite them. Maybe we are afraid to ask God to bless others because we are afraid He might ask us to be the blessing or provide the blessings. Maybe we don’t want to ask for words to speak because even though we should speak, we don’t want to. Maybe we are afraid to ask God to reveal Himself to us or to ask Jesus into our hearts because we either fear what we might have to surrender, or that He won’t accept us.
But asking the tough questions is the only way to become who you need be, who God sees you as. Right now, that tough question might be, please forgive me, or is there more to life?
Whatever it is, you have to ….
3. Allow God to Define You
(Exodus 3:15 NASB) "15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations."
Illustration: A young boy by the name of James had a desire to be the most famous manufacturer and salesman of cheese in the world. He planned on becoming rich and famous by making and selling cheese and began with a little buggy pulled by a pony named Paddy. After making his cheese, he would load his wagon and he and Paddy would drive down the streets of Chicago to sell the cheese. As the months passed, the young boy began to despair because he was not making any money, in spite of his long hours and hard work.
One day he pulled his pony to a stop and began to talk to him. He said, "Paddy, there is something wrong. We are not doing it right. I am afraid we have things turned around and our priorities are not where they ought to be. Maybe we ought to serve God and place him first in our lives." The boy drove home and made a covenant that for the rest of his life he would first serve God and then would work as God directed.
Many years after this, the young boy, now a man, stood as Sunday School Superintendent at North Shore Baptist Church in Chicago and said, "I would rather be a layman in the North Shore Baptist Church than to head the greatest corporation in America. My first job is serving Jesus."
So, every time you take a take a bite of Philadelphia Cream cheese, sip a cup of Maxwell House, mix a quart of Kool-Aid, slice up a DiGiorno Pizza, cook a pot of Macaroni & Cheese, spread some Grey Poupon, stir a bowl of Cream of Wheat, slurp down some Jell-O, eat the cream out of the middle of an Oreo cookie, or serve some Stove Top, remember a boy, his pony named Paddy, and the promise little James L. Kraft made to serve God and work as He directed.
It’s easy to make excuses as to why you can’t change. It’s not so easy be embrace who God says you are.
Don’t wait for the country to become something or for the church to become something before you become something.
When you see yourself in God’s eyes and walk by faith and not by sight and when the presence of the Holy Spirit permeates your life because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, the lies Satan has placed as the third word in your I am sentenced fade away. The scriptures say that all things become knew. When we identify with the cross we identify with the authority of Christ and are able to finish the I am sentence with the identity and attributes God has placed on us and in us in His word.
I am called
I am blessed
I am loved
I am anointed
I am holy
I am more than a conqueror
I am a child of God
And as Americans and as Christians we can say, I am free.
Conclusion:
The Lord says: “My name is “I AM.”
“When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WAS.’
When you live in the future with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WILL BE.’
When you live in this moment it is not hard; I am there! My name is ‘I AM!’
Give God the final say on your third word. Only there will you find your true self. Let His word define your I am and not your own, or anyone else’s.
Adapted from You Version Unqualified devotional.
